Marketing Toolshed: Market Assessement Information

Publications

Fact Sheets

Tracking Sales (PDF). This fact sheet explains how you can use some easy and inexpensive methods of monitoring sales to maximize your profits and stay in touch with your customers’ needs, wants, and wishes.

Tools

Webinar Recordings

Fine Foods From the Farm

Join Phyllis Trier to explore and understand common considerations when developing a specialty food product from your farm. Identifying your target market, developing your recipes for larger production, pricing and packaging, licensing, insurance, and cash flow needs will all impact your ability to get your product to market. Trier will cover key factors you should research about your specialty food idea before launching into production. Trier is the founder and former president of Bittersweet Pastries, an award winning wholesale, food service, mail order frozen dessert company. She has worked with food service distributors, brokers, sales reps, chefs, and specialty markets. Her work has given her experience in all aspects of product development, marketing, and sales.View the Fine Food from the Farm Webinar or download the Fine Food from the Farm presentation.

Direct marketing unpasteurized milk to consumers brings both opportunity and liability to farm businesses. VT Agency of Agriculture Dairy & Energy Chief Dan Scruton will describe proper milk testing and sanitation procedures to maximize milk quality and safety for farmers producing and selling raw milk under the 2009 Raw Milk Law. Resources about milk quality and a farm insurance liability checklist from Co-Operative Insurance will also be available to help you protect the health of your farm. Moderated by Jenn Colby of the UVM Center for Sustainable Agriculture's Pasture Program and presented as part of the UVM Extension New Farmer Project's webinar series.

Shelby Girard of Rural Vermont outlines options and legal requirements established under the 2009 Raw Milk Law, focused on Tier 1 sales of up to 50 quarts of milk per day. Topics covered will include testing and cooling requirements; public outreach & education; and labeling & recordkeeping. John and Rocio Clark of Applecheek Farm will offer their perspective as farmers selling raw milk in compliance with the law, and Vermont Agency of Agriculture Dairy and Energy Chief Dan Scruton will be available for questions. A comprehensive raw milk seller's guide created by Rural Vermont is available for download prior to the webinar, and additional information is available at www.ruralvermont.org.

Selling to Restaurants (March 2010)

For many farmers the opportunity to sell directly to restaurants provides the perfect marketing opportunity. In order to improve your chances of a successful relationship there are some important issues that you should consider. Join Mary Peabody, UVM Extension and representatives of the Vermont Fresh Network for an overview of how to determine if selling to restaurants is a good marketing option for your farm. To view the recording, go to: Marketing to Restaurants webinar.